Ilmberger Hugger Failure - Page 3

roger albert · 10-11-2002, 03:23 PM

What happened to yours Chris???

roger

Chris Canning · 10-11-2002, 11:44 PM

Hi Roger

Mine cracked across the radious of the hugger from left to right(in the middle),by the time i spotted it,it was two thirds across,the arm and how it was connected to the c/f was ok,everyone has his idea of what looks good but for me the Ilmberger is some way in front of the rest,i came across the French one a couple of years ago in a French mag while on holiday,but errrr it's an aquired taste!!!!!looks wise

Chris

jclark · jclark's Garage

..duude.

[ that's californian for, 'i agree entirely with your intellectual stance on this subject, and furthermore, whilst there might be other opinions on this matter, they surely do not measure up, substance-wise, to any one cogent enough to be reading this' ]

Ahh, the french.

jeff
gnarly...

JeffS · 10-14-2002, 02:04 PM

I also had the same failure of my Ilm.... hugger. Riding along in Montana in the rain at a cruising speed of 90-95MPH when I heard/felt a loud sound like I'd ran over something. Started doubting my awareness and level of focus - as I was about 600 miles into a 700 mile day on the way to a rally.

Well, when I arrived at the Beartooth rally and was stripping off my riding gear someone asked the 'Doesn't this bike have a rear fender?' question. And I say - 'Not stock but I have an aftermarket hugger.' Then observers start asking - what do you mean we don't see anything there. I look around and just see the remainder of the bracket

I thought it was just because I ride my S on rough gravel and dirt roads frequently and must have put too many harse shocks into it. I could heard it rattle on washboard type surfaces.

I emailed Mitch, he hadn't heard of any failures at that time, but he did send me a replacement, which has now been mounted for about 2 years and approximately 35,000 miles. No cracks and it doesn't appear to be touching the brake caliper. I still have been riding the gravel/dirt roads, but trying to go easier on the washboard and rough sections.

Jeff Smith

Joe · Joe's Garage

I'm really pleased to hear Mitch & Ilmberger have stood behind their product. So many after market companies usually don't care or blame it on someone else.

They’ll get my business again.

BTW.....30k mi. on my hugger.... seems ok

roger albert · 06-11-2003, 08:13 AM

Well, I pulled my rear wheel and caliper and hugger last night to allow spooning of a new Pilot Road. Looked at the Hugger (I really should have done this sooner - doh) and there is a very clear stress fracture along the inboard side of the arm, about 1/4 inch past the CF. It is in EXACTLY the same place as the picture Tominator posted on the first page of this thread. It's not far through, but it's a matter of time. Ugh.
I'm going to have to do a search here and dig up Mitch's address and see if they'll take a cracked, but not yet fractured one. Hopefully I won't be penalized for having found it before disaster strikes

Mine looked perfect 6000 miles ago, and is obviously cracked now. Interestingly (I'll look it over again in daylight this afternoon) it does NOT appear to have rubbed at all. Just cracked exactly where the arm makes a small bend. I don't know if that's been discussed before. Perhaps not, simply because the other folks have found the problem by the thing breaking in two. Mine, still being together, is easy to observe as the crack being along, rather exactly, a small bend in the arm. Can't be conincidence. That bending process (which Al doesn't much care for) has almost assuredly set a line to fracture along. Hopefully giving Mitch and Julius a not quite fully failed one will help them yet better understand what was happening.

Any of you guys with Rev2 huggers not a bend or lack of bend in the arm just past the end of the CF cladding/bonding?

thanks
roger

Rapid Dog · 06-11-2003, 08:47 AM

Dat's gotta be caused by the harmoic vibration, that dang 4K rpm occilation we gets.
If you ever stoop down and watch your hugger while twisting up the throttle, you'll definately see the burger waver like a wet dog...
Dang, just had mine off too... now I'm gonna have to check it out.

roger albert · 06-11-2003, 09:03 AM

Yes, unless I go home today and see some impact in better lighting, then it will be resonance based. What appears to be new (at least to me) information is that the crack is along a bend (sidedways as viewed from fore/aft) made in manufacturing. I'm convinced that has much more to do with the repeatability in location of break than does any other contact. Especially since the crack isn't even along the axis of greatest stress due to normal loading. The manufacturing bend nicely supplies a built-in stress concentration however, so one from impact and along the expected axis from said impact is not needed. That's my 3 cents anyway

718Rider · 06-11-2003, 09:25 AM

I don't have any cracking on the mount, but the carbon on the hugger itseld is cracked to SH*&^T in a couple of places and it's only been on 2 months. Can't say I'm happy with thing at all. I had the ART hugger that mounted to the shock on my bike for over a year w/no problems. Switched to the OHLINS shocks & added new hugger and am now out a hugger and $250.00 What a waste.

markjenn · 09:58 AM

I don't think the hugger has anything to do with the harmonic vibration - mine had the harmonics off/on for three+ years, but I've only had the hugger the last 16-months.

You guys are definitely worrying me - I got mine used but I think it was purchased back in 2000 sometime. It looks Ok, but I ride on a lot of rough roads, so it is probably just a matter of time. What really is of concern is the possibility of jamming and wheel lockup. I do a lot of triple-digit cruising.

Between Ohlins that are at best mis-spec'd and at worst defective, a hugger which has a clear catastrophic failure mode, and a shorter paralever that works fine, but has made my sidestand and center stands dicey, I'm beginning to think I should re-adapt my original policy towards mods - not worth the trouble in most cases. Maybe I'm just having a bad month, but VFRs, FJRs, and STs are looking better and better.

- Mark

Daniel Restrepo · 06-11-2003, 10:35 AM

i havent even installed my hugger yet. can anything be done to make it more durable? any suggestions about reinforcing or whatnot?

shannonnunley · 06-11-2003, 10:38 AM

I'm on my second and it seems to be fabricated more durably this time around. If you could attach it with some sort of dampening... like a piece of rubber on each side when fastening, that might do something to lessen the force of the vibration.

Or you could do like me and plan on sending back the bracket when it does break off.

Rapid Dog · 06-11-2003, 10:45 AM

My reconoiter yer feelings MarkJenn...torque arms, driveshaft angles, huggers, sloppy (and expensive) shocks, and an array of dismantles on my part...
I look over at my bud on his box-stock Prep as he zips along (quietly) grinnin' like a cheshire Cat...me, I'm worryin'about my driveline and how toget the dand suspension right...
I'm thinkin' mebbe stock ain't so bad...but I too gave in to the Gring Gring and did a make over this winter...
But like they sez here in the Pelican...Just Ride It!

roger albert · 06-11-2003, 11:05 AM

Given that their appears to be a bend which forms a stress point along which stress risers appear to readily form, I wouldn't take much stock in rubber helping (if it was a pure resonance issue - i.e. it was happening w/o the aid of the bend, then that would have a better chance)

At the very least, you'd need CF or fiberglass cladding extended past the common point of fracture (and even that presumes that a pure vibration mode won't be able to crack a clean/straight/un-pre-stressed portion of the arm further towards the mounts - NOT a foregone conclusion)

Daniel Restrepo · 06-11-2003, 11:09 AM

BALLS

Rapid Dog · 06-11-2003, 11:12 AM

chill D.R., they are backing up the product.
A costly one at that...
If BMW made a plastic version, I'd a bought it long ago...

hakpet · 06-11-2003, 11:20 AM

Damn,
Now i'll have to take it of and check before going down through Germany and France. Nice info fellas. I'll just bought it and mounted it roughly 1500 km ago. Hope it's OK. I'll borrow some crack finding solution at work!

roger albert · 06-11-2003, 11:45 AM

Or, DON'T chill. The backing up of the product is not unconditional.
I got an initial "No, no much I can do if it's over a year old" and then a "send me a photo or the hugger and _maybe_ we could do something"

I'm generally pretty mellow and diplomatic so I don't think I did anything to put Mitch on the defensive, but perhaps I am wrong there. At any rate, the burden of proof is on me to even "maybe" get help. Since the thing hasn't fallen off yet, the fracture is very small and will require a camera with a macro lens and real film to have a chance of focusing and recording an image that small close enough and in enough detail. Buy more film, shoot a photo, develop more film, mail photos. None of it free.
Looks like I get to spend 10 bucks on film, plus maybe another 10 bucks on shipping just to find out if it's even possible to get a replacement.

Note that replacement was not ruled out, so I'm not really complaining just yet. I'm just saying there's no way you can COUNT on replacement.
I also mentioned the crack was at the same place I'd heard and seen other units crack. There was a strong and immediate reply of, and I quote: "Hey buddy, only two of these have ever cracked in the states"
So, who knows? He didn't seem happy, and I'm not either, nor am I holding my breath.

Anyone KNOW how many we know of failing here. Really only two in the states? ???

thanks
roger

shannonnunley · 06-11-2003, 12:02 PM

I guess I'm one of the two. Kinda makes me feel special.

In all seriousness though, mine came with the bike without any puchase records. I didn't have any recourse, so I didn't report it.

Nonetheless, chalk me up as one failure.

roger albert · 06-11-2003, 12:12 PM

Any chance you'd be so kind as to report it to the following email:

mherman@motorsportimports.com

He should really know what is happening.

Tominator had it happen, and at least one other guy reported it happening to him on the way to a rally. That, just off the top of my head, doubles the number Mitch was aware of (from 2 to 4)

An FYI email to Mitch could be useful for not only me, but the 11S community at large

thanks
roger